Sunlit Rayne
by J. Maria
Summary: What do you get when you have a 30 something merc, a 17 year old mind reading genius and a thousands year old mystical energy orb? Sunlit Rayne. done for crossovers100 DawnJayneRiver xover with Firefly
1. Love Keeps Her Flying

**Title:** Love Keeps Her Flying  
**Author:** jmaria  
**Rating:** FR-15  
**Claim:** Dawn/Jayne/River  
**Crossover:** BtVS/Firefly  
**Prompt:** 001. Beginnings  
**Disclaimer:** Joss is god of his 'verses - me, not so much.  
**Spoilers:** pre-Serenity, but eventually will contain spoilers  
**Summary:** Love keeps her flying when she ought to fall.  
**Words:** 305  
**A/N:** Set some time after 'Objects in Space'. Inara and Book are still on board

_**Love Keeps Her Flying**_

Dawn Summers hated flying. The thousands of possibilities of what _could_ go wrong were enough to keep her land locked, but she had a promise to keep. To the normal person, Dawn looked like your average Core born girl of eighteen. Fact was that she was nearly five hundred years old, give or take a few years, had lived on Earth-that-was, and on nearly every world spinnin' since humanity had left Earth. Persephone was home right now, and if she didn't have business on Shadow, she wouldn't even be anywhere near the Eavesdown Docks.

But she had a promise to keep. She hated picking transport ships because there was always a lecherous hump on board who thought they could score with the prissified Core girl. Her eyes skimmed over the numerous ships, landing finally on one that brought a smile to her lips. A Firefly that was having the crispy remains of what looked like a mule hauled off.

Dawn smiled at the sight of two young girls who looked as if they were attending the said mule's funeral. It reminded her of that time she and Buffy buried the dead cat in their backyard. . . the one that later came back to life because of that creepy mask. Suddenly the darker haired girl jerked her head up and frowned at Dawn.

"Ok, cuz that's not creepy at all," Dawn muttered squaring her shoulders and heading over towards them. "Excuse me?"

"Hi," the lighter haired girl perked up a bit.

"Is this ship taking on passengers? I didn't see a barker so I was -" Dawn started to say. She stopped mid sentence as her eyes landed on the person coming right behind them. She'd never thought she'd see _him_ again. From the look on his face, neither did he. Dawn stepped back. "Jayne."


	2. Can't Be

**Title:** Can't Be  
**Author:** jmaria  
**Rating:** FR-15  
**Claim:** Dawn/Jayne/River  
**Crossover:** BtVS/Firefly  
**Prompt:** 002. Middles  
**Disclaimer:** Joss is god of his 'verses - me, not so much.  
**Spoilers:** pre-Serenity, but eventually will contain spoilers  
**Summary:** Caught in the middle of confusion, fragments  
**Words:** 238  
**A/N:** yeah, thoughts are in italics

_**Can't Be**_

Kaylee was mourning the mule which was just as much her baby as it was Wash's. River Tam was supposed to be far away from the doors, but the ritual of saying good-bye had drawn her curiosity. She didn't believe that it was a proven equation that the act of curiosity led to an increase of feline deaths. Her interest didn't rest long on the passing of the mule nor on the Captain's repeated assurance to both pilot and mechanic that the new mule would be even better - it'd even hover.

_Obligation_, _only for him would I do this, hate ships, hate space, better be damn grateful_. River's head shot up as she turned to the curious thoughts that pulled her away from the mule's vigil. A girl in a pair of dark red leather pants and a shirt that looked as if it had been pulled from Inara's closet. The flare of green light made her frown even more.

_Been around the block more than once, need a ship need to get there, always loved Fireflies_. River didn't even notice that the woman had approached them. She 'heard' Jayne's mind grumbling then halt. River felt the shocked _YOU_ vibrate through her and the woman's quiet word.

_She should be twice as old as me. . . ._

"Well preserved for a woman well in her middle years," River murmured, feeling the green glow brighten and blush.


	3. Tea Cozy Kinda Gal

**Title:** Tea Cozy Kinda Gal  
**Author:** jmaria  
**Rating:** FR-15  
**Claim:** Dawn/Jayne/River  
**Crossover:** BtVS/Firefly  
**Prompt:** 003. Ends  
**Disclaimer:** Joss is god of his 'verses - me, not so much.  
**Spoilers:** pre-Serenity, but eventually will contain spoilers  
**Summary:** Last time he saw her, she was a tea cozy kinda gal  
**Words:** 267  
**A/N:** Do not ask me where the title came from (well, besides the episode 'Anne')

_**Tea Cozy Kinda Gal**_

The two girls were sniffling, and Jayne were damn sure Crazy weren't supposed to be anywhere near normal folk on account of her bein' a fugee and all. Mal'd noticed that too, and sent the merc to haul her and Kaylee back inside of _Serenity_ 'afore anyone tried to make chit-chat with the two girls. 'Course he'd been a bit late to stop that. When Jayne saw who they were talkin' to, Jayne felt the stirrings of an eerie-ass day smacking him square in the chest.

Ain't no way in the sphincter of Hell could it be who he thought it was. If'n it were, she was damn well preserved for a woman by who all rights should be well in her middle years if not older. That left one possibility and Jayne felt his heart stop for half a second.

"Don't strain it, Jayne. Didn't take, cried herself to sleep. Wished though, more than once over the years," Crazy murmured quietly.

"It's been a long time, Jayne," the woman said thickly, her eyes locking on River.

"Yeah, I figgered you'd be knittin' on a porch with a tea cozy keepin' yer tea warm," Jayne frowned.

"Not the tea cozy type, that was more of my sister's kick."

"Whaddya want?"

"A lift. I have to say good-bye to an old friend," she said quietly. Jayne stiffened a bit at the thought, and for a half a second he thought that maybe she was talkin' about his mama. She seemed to read his mind. "I'm not going to say good-bye to _her_, Jayne. She already thinks I'm dead."


	4. Your Insides Ain't Your Insides?

**Title:** Your Insides Ain't Your Insides?  
**Author:** jmaria  
**Rating:** FR-15  
**Claim:** Dawn/Jayne/River  
**Crossover:** BtVS/Firefly  
**Prompt:** 004. Insides  
**Disclaimer:** Joss is god of his 'verses - me, not so much.  
**Spoilers:** pre-Serenity, but eventually will contain spoilers  
**Summary:** Got scooped out, every last bit.  
**Words:** 312  
**A/N:** Yeah, I'm quote girl.

_**Your Insides Ain't Your Insides?**_

"What in the sphincter of hell is goin' on my _gorram _boat!" Mal was yelling again when he spotted the girl.

"Ship's in flux, must compensate for the Captain's rash actions. Must always compensate," River replied, her eyes shifting between the big merc and the slip of a woman who looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"Huh? What 'bout my flukes?" Mal frowned.

"I'm guessing you're the captain of this ship?" Dawn moved forward, hand extended. Mal just glared at it and turned to Kaylee and Jayne.

"What part a 'we ain't takin' on passengers' slipped your mind?"

"Oh, weren't me what brought her on, Captain," Kaylee huffed. "She's pals with Jayne."

"Well, _pals_ is kinda misleading, see Jayne and I only -"

"I don't wanna hear 'bout Jayne's - conquests, Miss."

"_His_ conquest? Please, it was so the other way around," Dawn said hotly.

"Miss Dawnie," Jayne actually blushed, which made River smile and Mal's eyes go wide.

"Jayne, you're not fifteen anymore, you _can_ call me Dawn," she snapped, rolling her eyes.

"Did Jayne just call her _Miss_?" Zoe asked, her hand discreetly slipping to her gun.

"Well, we can never say his mother didn't raise him right," Dawn sighed. "I'm here because I need passage to Shadow, Captain. And I kinda need it to be discreet."

"Is she _demandin'_ passage on my boat?" Mal demanded.

"Appears that way, sir," Zoe fought to keep her face straight.

"Captain, I sure would 'preciate it," Jayne said quietly.

The crew stared at him in silent awe, and River's eyes went wide as she stared at Jayne. Jayne never acted like this around women, not even Zoe who scared him. Dawn had a small little smile on her face, as one would have towards a child. River couldn't see inside her mind past the green glow, which seemed to get brighter whenever she felt - _something_.


	5. Misleading

**Title:** Misleading  
**Author:** jmaria  
**Rating:** FR-15  
**Claim:** Dawn/Jayne/River  
**Crossover:** BtVS/Firefly  
**Prompt:** 005. Outsides  
**Disclaimer:** Joss is god of his 'verses - me, not so much.  
**Spoilers:** pre-Serenity, but eventually will contain spoilers  
**Summary:** It's just a mask, inadequate covering.  
**Words:** 226  
**A/N:** Well, the title kinda says it all.

_**Misleading**_

"Look, I can pay for passage, Captain," Dawn rubbed at her temple. For the third time she was trying to explain that all she needed was a ride. She hadn't counted on seeing Jayne Cobb, and by the look on his face and the faces of his crew, neither did he.

"I don't care if -"

"Captain, I just need to get to Shadow." Dawn said quietly. "It's a matter of life and death."

"Shadow? We don't go to Shadow," Mal snapped.

"Along the way, take a shuttle, drop her off and return to the ship," River said quietly. "Trying to make the outsides match the insides, toast his life."

"Huh?" Dawn frowned as the girl spoke from behind Jayne. There was something about her that struck Dawn as _off_. It seemed almost familiar.

"Final good-byes and first hellos. Coming and going all at once, turned about and no rudder going north," River's voice broke, but her eyes never left Dawn's. "Broken but doesn't see. Can feel it, pasted sloppily and inadequately covering what needs to be kept secret. Colors on a pinwheel, silver and green, but going so fast that only green's visible."

A thought struck Dawn that took her back in time. Her eyes watered a bit, but she refused to let them fall. She had to be strong.

"Like an Amazon," River whispered.


	6. Going Home Again

**Title:** Going Home Again  
**Author:** jmaria  
**Rating:** FR-15  
**Claim:** Dawn/Jayne/River  
**Crossover:** BtVS/Firefly  
**Prompt:** 006. Hours  
**Disclaimer:** Joss is god of his 'verses - me, not so much.  
**Spoilers:** pre-Serenity, but eventually will contain spoilers  
**Summary:** All it'll take is a couple of hours.  
**Words:** 429  
**A/N:** I am going to explain how they know each other, honest.

_**Going Home Again**_

"We don't have a choice, sir," Zoe was saying, her eyes locked on the young woman in their cargo hold. "An Alliance cruiser is making its way here for the annual inspection."

"And what with the good doctor and his sister bein' on board, we can't risk it," Mal huffed.

"Shadow ain't more'n a ten hours ride from here, and like River said, we can shuttle her off and be on our way without our feet ever hitting dirt," Zoe finished. "Plus, she can pay."

Across the hold, Jayne was talking quietly to the passenger, looking an awful lot like a shamed school boy.

"So, you're really Miss Dawnie? You ain't like her kid or nothin?" Jayne said quietly.

"No, Jayne, I'm not her kid," Dawn sighed. "You look a lot like your Pop, but you've got your mother's eyes. Vera always had the prettiest eyes."

"Ma thought you died in a Reaver attack," Jayne said gruffly, his lips pursing.

"No, I just moved."

"To the 'Core?"

"Yes. Osiris for a few years, Boros for a spell. Persephone's been my home for a while now."

"How come you never wrote, saying you's alive, Miss Dawnie?"

"Because I - needed to move on, Jayne. It wasn't fair of me to get involved with you. You were just a boy."

"I was seventeen, I weren't a pup in diapers who knew nothing about the 'verse," Jayne snapped.

"You were, Jayne. You were just a child! I was your mother's friend!" Dawn hissed. "It wasn't fair to get -" She stopped herself before she could say _so attached to you_.

Dawn rubbed at her eyes. She hadn't asked for this, hadn't asked to be reminded of what had to be given up. She took a breath before looking at him again.

"And this fella, on Shadow, he who you left for?"

"No, I left for his dying father, Jayne," she said truthfully.

"Jayne, take the lady's trunk to the passenger dorms," Mal said, coming up to them. "Shadow's bout a ten hour ride out from here. You can crash in the dorms or help yourself to something to eat."

"Thank you, Captain. I can pay you right away," Dawn smiled, grabbing for her bag.

"Jayne, what're ain't you doing?" Mal demanded

Jayne grit his teeth, but yanked up her trunk and stormed off to the passenger dorms. Dawn rubbed tiredly at her eyes as she handed the Captain his money. She glanced up at the catwalk and found River staring down at her. It was going to be a long ten hours.


	7. Three Hour Tour

**Title:** Three Hour Tour  
**Author:** jmaria  
**Rating:** FR-15  
**Claim:** Dawn/Jayne/River  
**Crossover:** BtVS/Firefly  
**Prompt:** 007. Days  
**Disclaimer:** Joss is god of his 'verses - me, not so much.  
**Spoilers:** pre-Serenity, but eventually will contain spoilers  
**Summary:** What do you mean by that?  
**Words:** 278  
**A/N:** Okay, still not explaining the Dawn/Jayne history, but I'm getting there.

_**Three Hour Tour**_

River watched Jayne storm away. Over and over again, to prove the point that it would be him. Jayne who did the walking away, for hours. To hurt her, to wound her. But River kept watch of this anomaly named Dawn. And Joan, and Willow, and even Faith. Same face, but hundreds of years of different names, different phases, different circumstances. Some lasted days, some hours, some years. Depending on need.

"A green chameleon, but always the same to him. Never wavered in who you were with him," River said quietly as Dawn passed her.

The woman stopped, turning towards her. The green shone brighter, drawing River deeply into the woman. Images of men, women, children and death flooded through the reader's mind. A dark haired man with the face of an angel stood before her. _We're always in the shadows, Dawnie. We don't get to die old in our beds with fat grandchildren. We freeze. A hundred years have passed and we don't look a day over twenty. We're freaks, and we can never be normal._

"Connor gets to be normal. Isn't fair," River's voice broke, tears clouding her eyes as Dawn stiffened. "You gave up love, children, home. _Him_. And now he's leaving."

"How -" But Dawn was cut off by the stomping of combat boots on grated metal as Jayne stormed in.

"Captain says it's gonna be a few days, on account a someone's been meddlin' on the bridge and playin' at Saffron," the mercenary glared at River, before turning right back around and stomping towards his bunk.

"How can she when he doesn't kiss on the lips?" River called after him.

"Days?" Dawn squeaked.


	8. Comfort Me

**Title:** Comfort Me  
**Author:** jmaria  
**Rating:** FR-15  
**Claim:** Dawn/Jayne/River  
**Crossover:** BtVS/Firefly  
**Prompt:** 008. Weeks  
**Disclaimer:** Joss is god of his 'verses - me, not so much.  
**Spoilers:** pre-Serenity, but eventually will contain spoilers  
**Summary:** Comfort me, in this my hour of need.  
**Words:** 429  
**A/N:** It's got a very funny "I Only Have Eyes for You" episode vibe to it

_**Comfort Me**_

The trip went from ten hours, twelve at the max to nearly a week and Dawn had a sneaking sensation that the little crazy girl had something to do with it. It just made things harder between Jayne and Dawn, no matter how much River and apparently Kaylee did to get them together. The mechanic had taken it upon herself to check every outpost between Persephone and Shadow to look for much needed parts.

Dawn had tried, but Jayne just wasn't in the mood to speak to her. On top of that, the Captain was crotchety about having to do a fly-by of his old home planet. Not to mention that tiny little fact that River was trailing her wherever she went, which wasn't that hard given that they were in a spaceship and all.

"Wash says we'll be near Shadow in a day," Mal said as the crew was assembled for dinner one night.

"Good," Dawn said quietly. "I'll have to pay you for the extra days. It's only fair."

"No ya won't." Jayne said gruffly, as he started piling food on his plate.

"Excuse me?" Dawn and Mal said at the same time.

"Mal can take it outta my cut. Don't wanna get paid for this job." With that he turned and left. He didn't even take his plate.

"He'll be in his bunk," River said sadly, her eyes trailing him as he left the room.

"I'll pay the extra cost, Captain. If you'll excuse me, I'm afraid I don't have much of an appetite," Dawn murmured, pushing away from the table.

She was halfway to the passenger dorms when a hand popped out and dragged her into underneath the staircase that led to the engine room. Dawn glanced up at Jayne glowering down at her.

"Jayne, you are getting paid for this job. It's the least I can -" But her words faltered as she looked into his eyes. It was angry, proud, fierce and hungry. They weren't the eyes of the handsome teenager who'd pulled her under the first time. There was no denying that Jayne Cobb was a man now.

She wasn't sure who kissed who first, just that her lips were on his, as he backed her against the bulkhead. His hands cupping flesh that ached to be held. It'd been a long time since she felt this way. Neither one of them heard the barefoot pattering of River, who with a tear and a frown watched them from the catwalk.

"Said she wasn't hungry," River murmured quietly. "Said he didn't kiss them."


	9. Lay Me Down

****

Title:

Lay Me Down  
**Author:** jmaria  
**Rating:** FR-15  
**Claim:** Dawn/Jayne/River  
**Crossover:** BtVS/Firefly  
**Prompt:** 009. Months  
**Disclaimer:** Joss is god of his verses - me, not so much.  
**Spoilers:** pre-Serenity, but eventually will contain spoilers  
**Summary:** It just makes it harder for everyone else  
**Words:** 412  
**A/N:** Jayne isn't actually in this one, but is mentioned.

**_Lay Me Down_**

In retrospect, it had been a mistake to kiss him. It had been a mistake to get on that Firefly and be within a twenty mile radius of Jayne Cobb. But Dawn was a pro at making mistakes. Because that little act of kissing had led to sneaking out of his bunk three hours later.

Dawn slipped up to the cockpit, and was shocked to find River watching her with big eyes and Wash dozing at the controls. It apparently wasn't the first time the girl or pilot had done this.

"He doesn't know that she has great potential to fill his shoes," River murmured.

"Potential, huh?"

"Long time since the idea even passed her thoughts, skimming her brain-pan. House full of little girls, sliced away one by one till the very earth got 'et up."

"You are one unnerving little girl, River," Dawn sighed.

"And you are the one who gave him that stupid rule," River accused. "Thought he was cursed because of it. Doesn't kill because his kisses kill. Months of blame going on in that thick skull of his, and was it needed?"

"Yes. It was." Dawn looked past the sad young woman to the endless stream of stars.

"Ruined him. For any girl -"

"You mean for you?" Dawn murmured.

"I - she's not a girl, can't feel silly girl things for the ape with no training. She can kill him with her brain -" the denial of feeling for Jayne reminded Dawn of Cordelia and Xander all those long years ago, and she knew the younger Reader now knew it as well.

"Can River Tam do all that? Did the Academy ruin her so well?" Dawn's eyes slid back to her face. "I should have done something to years ago to stop them. I only learned of their activities months ago, River."

"Would have been too late to do anything months ago. She was already freed by then. And the green glow doesn't have that power any more."

"I'm still sorry."

"You'll leave and never look back at him? Hurt him just as badly, bruise him even more. Days, and weeks, and months till it stops hurting? How much damage can you inflict?" River's voice hinged on a plea.

"I'm sorry River," Dawn murmured again. "I'm sorry that I'm making that path so much harder for you."

"Shadow's not far now," River looked away, slipping away before Wash woke up to tell her the exact same thing.


	10. These Things We've Done

****

Title:

These Things We've Done  
**Author:** jmaria  
**Rating:** FR-15  
**Claim:** Dawn/Jayne/River  
**Crossover:** BtVS/Firefly  
**Prompt:** 010. Years  
**Disclaimer:** Joss is god of his verses - me, not so much.  
**Spoilers:** pre-Serenity, but eventually will contain spoilers  
**Summary:** More lifetimes have passed over them and more gifts given than maybe they deserve.  
**Words:** 949  
**A/N:** Just Dawn in this one.

_**These Things We've Done**_

Jayne hadn't been the one to see her off. That pleasure had been reserved for the first mate, Zoe. Shadow and her leaving had affected more than one of the crew members. Mal, River, and Jayne had not been present at her departure in the early morning hours. She'd paid Zoe the other half of her passage payment and had left the former soldier on the far end of the landing area.

"Thank you," Dawn had murmured, her eyes really searching the woman's face. It was a familiar face, as Connor had often asked her to sketch the face of his long lost daughter. It would be too hard to make him remember that part of his life by bringing Zoe any further into her world. "You can leave now. I suspect Captain Reynolds will want to be far from here and I can't detain you any longer."

"And return passage?"

"I'll not be leaving here any time soon, Zoe," Dawn looked over her shoulder to where she could see Connor's family gathering for her.

"Right."

"Thank them for me -"

"Not necessary," Zoe cut her off. "It was a job. Nothing to really thank them for, then is there?"

There was an edge to the woman's voice that had come from years of soldiering and most likely self-preservation.

"No, you're right," Dawn didn't want to hurt them - Jayne and that poor girl - anymore than her presence had already done.

Zoe had left then, without a backward glance at her. And Dawn had done her best to just move forward. Connor's family had helped, his latest crop of children now in their twenties, moved forward to lead her into the compound. Connor had spent countless years searching the galaxies for something to destroy, and in the process had built himself up seven families. Seven wives had left him to move onto the world beyond, and only two other women had meant something to him in the five hundred years since then. Cordelia and Dawn. Cordelia had long since gone from him, and Dawn had been at his side in one form or another in their many years.

They had been friends save that one moment of pure anger, revenge and pain directed at things they couldn't control and had desperately wished they could have changed. That one day that they had brought their only child into the world. But they had never loved each other past the love of the truest friends. He had gone on to love seven times. She had loved only twice since then. She didn't hold it against him in the least.

"Liam, how is he?" Dawn asked quietly of the oldest son of Connor's last family.

"Worsening by the day, Miss Dawn," Liam Angel murmured, showing her in to his rooms. "After everything, we near reckoned Pa would actually - it never seemed possible -"

"He's got a few months left in him," Fay Angel, Connor's oldest daughter had tears in her eyes as she spoke. Dawn smiled at the young girl, who was only sixteen, and remembered herself when her mother had been so sick.

"It will be a well deserved peace, sweetling," Dawn didn't know who she was trying to comfort, the girl or herself. It was the end of an era. And here she stood, the last Scooby in time and space. "I know it's a small comfort..."

"But Mama awaits him there, little Fayfay," Connor's second born son, Charles, wrapped a protective arm around his younger sister.

Their youth struck her then, a hard and telling thing. They were all under twenty years old, and had watched their father age so quickly in such a short time. Twenty-seven years ago, Connor had been contacted by Whistler for the first time in two hundred and fifty years. The balance demon had last spoken to them when Drusilla had been changed back into a human. Spike, Angel, and Illyria had all still been with them, Lorne had only just been found again and the Core planets had been stumbling along like Earth had so long ago. The Council had long since drifted away, as had Wolfram & Hart. Both had tendrils of control in Blue Sun and the Alliance.

The demon had hoped that neither Destroyer or Key would remember the tales from the Slayer and the Souled Vampires. Unfortunately for him they had. Connor's wife Tess had died ten years prior, and he'd been telling Dawn how tired he was. The demon simply told him why he'd been tired.

The Powers no longer needed the Destroyer. Five hundred and fifty some years was enough for any the good warrior, who was always meant to be the savior of his father's and his mother's souls. All their past misdeeds had been corrected through him. He was the reason Darla, Angel, Drusilla, and Spike had all been able to become human again. He had to serve humanity by killing the darkest creatures in creation, shielding them from such creatures as his family. For as long as they had killed, he'd been meant to serve. And that punishment was coming to an end. They would give him one lifetime more, sped up just slightly.

It was ass-backwards, but then most things involving the Powers were. Dawn smiled at the children. His living legacy. Fay was a slayer, one of many who found her job obsolete on worlds full of human monsters. The strength of Connor had passed down into his oldest sons, stronger than the average man but half the strength of his vampire grandparents.

"And he'll never truly leave," Dawn murmured. "You've only to look at your family to see him there."


	11. Better in Red

****

Title:

Better In Red  
**Author:** jmaria  
**Rating:** FR-15  
**Claim:** Dawn/Jayne/River  
**Crossover:** BtVS/Firefly  
**Prompt:** 011. Red  
**Disclaimer:** Joss is god of his verses - me, not so much.  
**Spoilers:** pre-Serenity, but eventually will contain spoilers  
**Summary:** Left bleeding and in pain  
**Words:** 231  
**A/N:** Just pre-Rayne in this one.**__**

Better In Red

Jayne was completely drunk that entire day. She'd all but slunk off from his bunk and had kept herself tightly hidden behind Wash and Zoe all damn day. He'd barely noticed Zoe's footsteps passing his bunk as she came back from the drop. He didn't acknowledge Mal's bitchin' at him from the top of his door, or Kaylee's hopeful taunts. Or the Shepherd's invitation to work out with him. Or Inara's tellin' him grub was on.

The one thing that really sunk into his mind was the tiny footsteps that entered his bunk, the long strand of dark hair tickling on his neck as he laid perfectly still on his bunk, his eyes screwed shut to block out the entire universe. The wet sting of a single tear drop and the fading footsteps on the stairs echoed loudly in his ears.

"He's not to be disturbed," her voice trickled back to his ears clearer than anything that had been said at him all damn day. "He does not look better in red, and needs the time it takes for old wounds to heal."

And River Tam sat guard all day and well into the night - despite all her brother's, Captain's, and Shepherd's pleas - at the door to Jayne Cobb's bunk. Her borrowed red dress flowing around her, making her smell like the woman who'd damaged her mercenary so.


	12. Sign of You

****

Title:

Sign of You  
**Author:** jmaria  
**Rating:** FR-15  
**Claim:** Dawn/Jayne/River  
**Crossover:** BtVS/Firefly  
**Prompt:** 012. Orange  
**Disclaimer:** Joss is god of his verses - me, not so much.  
**Spoilers:** pre-Serenity, but eventually will contain spoilers  
**Summary:** Coming to a sudden realization  
**Words:** 855  
**A/N:** Shadow and Connor's newest family, and Dawn**__**

Sign of You

Connor looked old. Dawn smiled as Liam, Charles, and Fay left her alone with him. He smiled from his desk, the old book of prophecy that Wesley had long ago stolen from Wolfram & Hart and had hidden for Angel lay open for him to read.

"Don't laugh, Summers, one day you'll need glasses to read this crap too," Connor wagged a finger at her.

"I can only hope, but for now I'll settle for being a hot immortal," Dawn smiled. "You look good, Connor."

"I look like I'm dying, Dawnie," Connor sighed, closing the book.

"Yes, but you're glowing and happy," Dawn sniffled a bit. "And you've got one hell of a party waiting for you once you go."

"And I'll be leaving you behind," Connor slowly crossed the room to her, pulling her safely into his arms. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "And the kids. I won't be able to keep them away from all those _huduns _out there."

"Liam and Charles are good boys. They'll keep the others out of trouble. Your kids are good kids, and they don't nearly get into half the trouble we used to get into."

"And the land is still in your name, so it won't get gobbled up by the Alliance or any other ass in the verse."

"All in all, the kids are well taken care of. I will stay until things are settled, see if any of those land-robbers -" Dawn felt her chest tighten, remembering what had exactly happened all those years ago when the last land-robbers had shown their faces. "I'll watch over them."

"Blasted Alliance. Wish the Browncoats had finished 'em off, if only for Glo," Connor murmured, his eyes darting away from her and to the image of his last wife.

"Gloriana Orange," Dawn smiled sadly at the woman in the still.

"Glo Angel," Connor growled.

"Miss Orange came from an impeccable Core born family," Dawn's eyes twinkled mischievously.

"She cursed worse than Faith, and was skilled with a wide variety of weapons," Connor mused.

"And she loved you and your babies," Dawn looked fondly at the last family portrait of Connor, Glo and their six children Liam, Charles, Fay, Willa, Steven, and baby Della. Della was now eleven, and forever robbed of the little brother Glo had been carrying when the attack on Shadow had happened at the beginning of the war. She'd also been robbed of a mother. Dawn remembered that ache so well. Many had died, and Shadow had been burned and rebuilt within months, making it a respectable place to live. Now that it was free of Independent minded scum.

Connor had fought for a short while, needing to take out his grief on someone. His skills made him more valuable as an instructor, and his thirst for revenge had never been fully sated. She'd taken charge of the children for him, had secured their property for them and had been every inch a supporter for Unification as she needed to be. When he returned less than a year into the campaign, Connor had found himself lucky to have his home and family safely in her hands.

"She's waiting on me, Dawnie. I just hope the others can be understanding -"

"The other six? They knew you needed someone to look after you," Dawn thought of those seven brave, beautiful women who had loved her Connor, that had kept him sane and whole throughout those long years. Asheley, MaTilda, Elizabeth, Livia, Kasey, Imogen, and Gloriana. A Watcher, a half-demon, a slayer, a whore, a former nun, a poor lawman's daughter, and a real Core bred lady. Each one had in her own way had asked her to watch over Connor once she'd passed on. They'd all assumed that she would be the one to replace the lost wife, mother, friend. She always stayed with him for as long as he needed her. "Glo knew that she wasn't the first in your heart when you saved her in that bar. Hell, probably not even after the weeks you'd tried to convince both of you that there wasn't anything there. You still mourned Imogen, and yet - hmm. Its funny."

"What's funny?"

"Ashe's favorite color was orange, wasn't it?"

"I - I think so."

"And Tilda's hair had those orange streaks when you saved her, and Liz had on that orange sweater, Livia's rooms were called the Orange Suite, and Kasey's bible was that rusty orange color, and Imogen wore that orange frock the day you met her -"

"And Glo was an Orange," Connor frowned at her. "What's your point Summers?"

"Maybe it was never a completely different girl you fell for and married," Dawn murmured, her eyes glancing over the room before meeting his gaze again. "Seven different women, but all that tie to a color like that? Maybe it's an aura thing. Maybe if green was the Key thing in me -"

"The orange thing is a sign of what in me?"

"Maybe the orange in you has something to do with your soul mate, in whatever form she was in."


	13. Deplorable Sunshine

****

Title:

Deplorable Sunshine  
**Author:** jmaria  
**Rating:** FR-15  
**Claim:** Dawn/Jayne/River  
**Crossover:** BtVS/Firefly  
**Prompt:** 013. Yellow  
**Disclaimer:** Joss is god of his verses - me, not so much.  
**Spoilers:** pre-Serenity, but eventually will contain spoilers  
**Summary:** Being something shes not, just to make it okay.  
**Words:** 269  
**A/N:** Shadow and Connor's newest family, and Dawn**__**

Deplorable Sunshine

Dawn had immediately adopted the new persona of her own daughter for those people not in the know. It was her trick to survival. She looked like a teenager, there was no getting around that. To the outside world, she was Dusk Winters. The exact opposite of her mother, yet the exact replica of her physically. She made a big show of being pure Core. She wore bright, happy colors - even when it was obvious to even the simplest minds that Connor's family was in a constant death watch for the head of the home. She hated it, but the image needed to be kept up. She often mentioned her dear Daddy, Mr. Angel's mysterious benefactor who'd married Mr. Angel's dear, devoted and now dead sister, Miss Dawn. Miss Dawn had come to aid her widowed brother after the attack on Shadow.

"Miz Dawn must be rollin over in her grave. That gel she raised ain't got a lick a sense!" she'd heard numerous elderly ladies mutter as she passed them on the road into town, feigning delicacy. If only they knew!

But they never would, because if she told them that she was immortal, they'd call the Academy down on her so fast that she'd never breathe free air into her lungs again. As much as she wanted to change the world, she never could make things right. She was too cowardly, too frightened to live openly.

So she pasted over it with a bright, happy yellow new gown and her Core attitude. Because it was better to pretend that she was braver than she really was.


End file.
